Strong Christmas week for U.S. freight traffic

U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Dec. 28, 2013 advanced strongly, the Association of American Railroads reported Thursday, Jan. 2, 2014. U.S. freight carload traffic gained 8.1% when measured against the comparable week in 2012, while U.S. intermodal volume did even better, up 10.6%.

Moreover, nine of the 10 carload commodity groups AAR tracks on a weekly basis posted increases compared with the same week in 2012. Gainers included grain, up 36.8%, petroleum and petroleum products, up 29.8%, and nonmetallic minerals and products, up 14.3%. Commodities marking declines included metallic ores and metals down 7.2%.

AAR said that for the 52 weeks of 2013, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 14,608,403 carloads, down 0.5% from the same point last year, and 12,831,692 intermodal units, up 4.6% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the 52 weeks of 2013 was 27,440,095 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.8% from 2012.

Canadian freight carload volume fell 0.4% during the week ending Dec. 28, 2013, but Canadian intermodal volume rose 8.1% compared with the same week in 2012. For the 52 weeks of 2013, Canadian railroads reported cumulative carload volume of 4,083,936 carloads, up 1.8% from the same point last year, and 2,790,389 intermodal units, up 4.5% for 2012.

Mexican freight carload traffic declined 6% compared with the same week in 2012, and Mexican intermodal volume also fell, down 9.6%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the 52 weeks of 2013 was 787,941 carloads, up 6.1% over 2012, and 518,804 intermodal units, down 0.4% from 2012.

Combined North American freight carload traffic for the 52 weeks of 2013 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads rose 0.2% measured against 2012. Combined North American intermodal volume was up 4.4%.